Did you ever wonder?
by zimra
Summary: Did you ever wonder why Harry and Ginny only had three children? Birth is as safe as life gets. A story about the eventful birth of Lily Potter.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **Did you ever wonder why Harry and Ginny only had three children? Birth is as safe as life gets. A story about the eventful birth of Lily Potter.

**Warning:** There will be description of childbirth in later chapters, but nothing too shocking in my opinion.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Mummy!"

Ginny Potter opened her eyes. So much for an afternoon nap…

Slowly she pushed herself up in a sitting position on the couch. This took a considerable amount of effort, due to the fact that she was nine months pregnant.

"Mummy!"

Her son's cries started to sound impatient.

Fifteen minutes ago, five-year-old James Potter had been playing in the living room with his toy dragons so sweetly that Ginny couldn't resist the temptation of settling herself on the couch and letting her eyes close. She knew it wasn't likely to last for long, but she felt so exhausted that she savoured every minute of rest.

Mind you, she loved being pregnant. But being nine months pregnant with an energetic five-year-old and his three-year-old brother to look after was another matter.

As she hoisted herself up from the couch, she heard Albus starting to whine in his crib upstairs.

"Mummiieee!"

James called for her again, just as she reached the kitchen door.

Upon entering she saw him perched on a stool, standing on tiptoe and reaching for the mug of cocoa that he had refused to drink earlier that day. He was touching it with his fingertips, stretching himself even further as the stool overbalanced. As if in slow-motion he toppled over, grabbing the mug with him.

Ginny wasn't quick enough and could only watch as her son landed (thankfully) on his bum, covered from head to toe in cocoa.

It looked so comically that she couldn't help herself and burst out laughing.

James, as a reaction, burst out wailing.

It took quite a few minutes for Ginny to calm him down and get him upstairs to change clothes.

As she was lifting Albus from his crib, she heard the front door open.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" squealed both James and Albus, the former nearly launching himself headfirst from the stairs and the latter wiggling to get out of Ginny's arms.

"Where are my two favourite persons in the whole wide world?" Harry called, as he scooped James up from the stairs, then climbed to meet Albus and Ginny.

"Here, here, daddy!" the boys cried, both trying to yell loudest.

Harry set James down and put his arms around Ginny.

"I thought I was your favourite person in the whole wide world?"

Harry bent down to kiss her intensely, then whispered in her ear "You are. But don't tell these little monkeys or they'll get jealous."

* * *

A few hours later Harry was brushing his teeth, while Ginny was already in bed, trying to make herself as comfortable as possible. This took a construction of several strategically placed pillows, which positions Ginny had to adjust a couple of times.

Harry heard the shuffling of the pillows, punctuated by a deep sigh, and came out of the bathroom.

"You okay, love?"

"Hmph.." came a grunted reply.

"Bump giving you a hard time?"

"He keeps kicking." Ginny said grumpily.

Harry knelt at her side of the bed and put his head close to her gigantic stomach.

"Hey bump, this is your dad. You have to stop the kicking now, little one, because your mum is tired and needs to sleep."

"Better now?" he asked Ginny, who still wasn't looking too happy.

"It's not just the kicking, it's also that my back hurts and I need to pee every ten minutes and I can't move around as I'm the size of a freaking whale!" Ginny whined.

"I know, honey", said Harry, climbing in bed beside her. "Shall I rub you back?"

"I'm just done with being pregnant!"

Harry seemed to think about this for a moment.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious! I am SO ready to have this baby and see my feet again!"

"Do you mean that you don't want to get pregnant again? That you don't want any more children after this one?"

"That was not what I meant to say…"

"But do you mean it?", Harry continued, "Because it's not that we… I would understand of course…. But we really never discussed…." he trailed of, still looking at Ginny very seriously.

Ginny took a moment to ponder this.

Did she want this pregnancy to be her last? Did she want to have no further children?

They never had discussed exactly how many children they wanted. Though they had always agreed that they wanted a large family. Maybe not as large as seven…. But was their family complete with three children?

Ginny tried to imagine what it would be like, if this baby was to be her last. No more morning sickness. No more backaches and swollen feet. No more hormones all over the place, no more swelling like a beach ball and no longer that aching, dragging, tiredness from the last month.

But also, no more little kicking feet inside her belly. No more looking at her expanding stomach and wondering who this little person inside could be. No more of Harry softly singing songs to her belly at night.

This baby would be the last one she'd breastfeed. The last one she would change nappies for. (Well, that was actually on the plus side…) Her last child to educate at home and the last to go to Hogwarts. This child would always be their youngest, the littlest brother or sister.

Ginny let out a sigh and put her hand on her stomach. A tiny foot nudged her hand.

No. She wasn't ready to give this up yet.

She looked up at Harry who was still staring intensely at her.

"I don't want this baby to be our last. I want to have more children. At least, as long as you…."

"I also want to have more children." Harry was looking relieved. "But it's not me who has to deal with the hardships of pregnancy, so…".

"Yes, well, it can be a bit tiresome now and then, but still. I want this baby to become a big brother eventually."

"You are convinced that it's going to be another boy, aren't you?" Harry was grinning.

"Believe me, Weasley-genes only produce male offspring."

"That's not true. Bill and Ron both have daughters. Besides, your father managed it in the end."

"Are you telling me now that you want to take after my parents and keep having children until we get a girl?" said Ginny mock-threatening him. "Because that's not the deal mister. More children after this one, all right, but I wasn't planning on seven."

They both chuckled and Harry put his arms around her belly.

"Would be nice, though, a girl?" he said. "Ron keeps telling me that having a daughter is the best thing in the world."

Ginny snorted: "Off course he would, so far he only has a daughter. Maybe he'll get to try having a son in a few months."

"I told him that having a son is the best thing in the whole universe. And having two is even better."

"You're not the only one who's hoping for a girl, though." Ginny said. "James was telling me this morning that he had decided that he wanted a little sister, because he already had a little brother. In his opinion one brother to share your toy dragon with is more than enough."

Harry put his head close to Ginny's belly again. "Well, we'll all just have to wait until you come out, won't we?"

"Yes, but would you mind not to keep us waiting too long." Ginny added to her belly. "Because mummy has to pee again."

* * *

Love it? Hate it? Let me know what you think!

All reviews are very much appreciated! :)

Love, Zimra.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **Did you ever wonder why Harry and Ginny only had three children? Birth is as safe as life gets. A story about the eventful birth of Lily Potter.

**Warning:** There will be description of childbirth in later chapters, but nothing too shocking in my opinion.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"Gin?"

"Coming!"

Putting little Albus down on the floor, Ginny waddled into the kitchen where Hermione was just stepping out of the fireplace. She was holding a large bag of groceries on one hip and her three-year old daughter Rose on the other.

Hermione placed the bag on the counter and put Rose down on the floor, then stretched her back, wincing slightly.

"You really shouldn't be lifting so much you know." Ginny said with a look at Hermione's five-month-pregnant belly.

"Ahem, I think I just heard the pot calling the kettle black. You are the one who shouldn't be lifting so much." Hermione said sternly, "Harry told me you still carry Albus up the stairs".

"Well, it's so much quicker than letting him climb, because unlike James, Albus likes to do things slowly. And not just climbing the stairs, getting dressed, washing and eating also takes ages." Ginny rolled her eyes. "But you do have a point, cause my back is killing me these days."

"I assumed as much, so I brought you some groceries."

"Ah, thank you so much Hermione!"

"No problem, I had to go to the store myself. So how is the- What is it sweetie?" Rose was tugging at her mothers robes. Hermione bent down to hear her daughter whisper shyly.

"Yes, you can go and play with Albus. Just ask auntie Ginny if that's alright."

Holding onto her mothers hand tightly, Rose looked up at Ginny but remained silent.

"Come on Rosie, it's only auntie Ginny, you can ask her." Hermione tried to encourage her daughter.

Ginny couldn't help but smile at the sight of her brothers ginger hair and freckles together with her friend's bushy curls and hazel eyes combined in her niece.

"Of course you can go and play with Albus," she said, ruffling the girl's hair. "He's in there."

"Ron used to be shy just like her." She added to Hermione.

Rose toddled off into the living room and immediately she and Albus were immersed in a game.

Ginny and Hermione listened for a moment to the incomprehensible, but seemingly serious conversation their children were having.

"Aren't they sweet?"

"They go on really well."

"Let's hope our next ones do so as well." Hermione gestured at both of their bellies.

"Speaking of which," she continued, "any signs of labour yet?"

Ginny's look immediately darkened. "So I'd wish… But no, only those tiring backaches that I've had for weeks now. Sometimes I imagine them to become stronger and more contraction-like but then they subside again. At this rate this baby's going to come out next year."

"Aw…poor you!" Hermione said with a sympathetic grin. "I know the last part is the hardest. But on the bright side: you will get this baby, and definitely before next year."

"I know…" Ginny sighed. "Just distract me with something, would you? I need to take my mind off"

"Ok, let me see. Did you hear that Luna has met someone?"

"What? No! Who?"

"Well, word is she met this guy while on an expedition in Malaysia, looking for some extremely rare bowtruckle species."

"How do you know?"

"Neville told me when he came round for dinner last week. One of his colleagues was on the same expedition and noticed them hanging out together all the time. When the expedition ended the two of them decided to extend their stay in Malaysia to visit some other special rainforest."

"Just the two of them? I'm not sure if that's a wise decision. How long does she know this guy! And who is he?"

"His name is Rolf Scamander and according to Neville's colleague he's a nice bloke. He's known him for years and from the stories it seems as he's just as fascinated by weird creatures as Luna is. Neville said he met Rolf a couple of times on parties. He described him as very friendly, thinks he and Luna are a good match."

"That's so nice! I'm so happy for her!"

"Yes, but you might want to wait till she tells her yourself. Neville said he wasn't sure if they are already a couple. It's more of a rumour yet. And speaking of rumours: I heard another one. Winsemius Marchbanks, who is on the department of magical games and sports, said there are plans to-. Are you all right?" Hermione suddenly noticed Ginny gripping the back of a chair and grimacing.

"Yeah, just a backache." Ginny managed to groan, while gripping the chair still harder.

"Are you sure?" Hermione looked concerned. "Because this looks rather like-…"

"No. It's just a backache." Ginny cut across her. "I'm not getting my hopes up again."

After a moment she relaxed again and let out a sigh. "See, it's gone already."

"Ok, if you say so…" Hermione said, but Ginny could tell she was not convinced.

After some fifteen minutes of drinking tea and sharing more rumours, Ginny felt the backache again. She tried not to let it show, but failed, causing Hermione to peer at her sternly.

"Tell me again that was not a contraction."

"It wasn't."

"Are you sure you don't need to Floo Harry?"

"Dead sure. I'm not going to alert anyone, only to discover that it's Braxton-Hicks again."

"Shall I stay here with you?"

"Nope. You're going to get home, cause its Rosies nap-time, and I have some laundry to do. You wouldn't believe how fast James and Albus can get their clothes dirty."

Hermione took one look at her friend and sister-in-law to know that she meant business. And she knew better than to reason with a Weasley who has an idea fixed in its mind.

So she started to round up her daughter, which, due to a final game of hide-and-seek took another ten minutes. The two women had just hugged and kissed each other and their children goodbye and Hermione turned with Rose to the fireplace as Ginny winced with another backache.

"Are you sure I don't need to take the boys with me? They can have dinner at our place, that leaves you some time to relax?"

"I'm going to do laundry. And I'm perfectly fine, remember?"

"All right, all right! I'm going!" Hermione hastily exclaimed when she saw Ginny's stern look. "But even so… Good luck tonight!" she added with a grin before stepping into the fireplace with Rose and vanishing from sight.

* * *

Lo

Love it? Hate it? Let me know!

All reviews are very much appreciated!

love, Zimra


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: **Did you ever wonder why Harry and Ginny only had three children? Birth is as safe as life gets. A story about the eventful birth of Lily Potter.

**Warning:** There is some mild description of childbirth in this chapter and will be more in later chapters, but nothing too shocking in my opinion.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

No matter what Ginny was telling Hermione, she _was_ getting her hopes up.

The backaches she felt this afternoon were stronger than what she experienced before, and though it felt a bit early to talk about being 'in labour', there was definitely something going on.

It seemed as if the boys were feeling it too, because they were even rowdier then normal. When she had to tell James off for the third time for snatching Albus' toys and Albus went into a full whine again, she almost wished she had let Hermione take them with her.

Instead she abandoned the laundry and opted for one of her more desperate measures.

"Who wants to go outside and play Quidditch?

"Me! Me! I want to! Mummy can I play?"

Both of her sons launched themselves yelling at the door to the garden, James stepping onto Albus' foot, the latter completely forgetting to cry.

Ginny followed them with a sigh. She knew she'd have to play with them and throw quaffles at them (bewitched to go very slowly) for at least an hour, but at least it would stop the bickering. Plus her aim was for them to be so exhausted afterwards that she'd get them to eat and go to bed easily.

So far, the plan was working well. Instead of fighting, Albus and James were brotherly guarding one hoop (about three inches above the grass) on their toy brooms while Ginny was throwing quaffles. A few times she felt the sharp backache again and had to breathe deeply until it subsided.

At one moment, James noticed her clenching her knuckles and asked:

"What is it mummy? Is the baby kicking again?"

She had to breathe deeply before answering.

"Yes, dear, the baby's kicking indeed. Maybe he's kicking because he wants to come out."

"Does he come out now?"

"No, not now." She ruffled the boy's hair. "But maybe in the night or tomorrow."

'Oh." Said James, quickly losing interest as nothing exciting was happening at the moment.

"Will you throw the quaffle at us again mummy?"

An hour and a half later, the boys were both sitting on the couch, watching a muggle television program. As Ginny had hoped, they were both tired and she had given them a snack to keep them quiet.

The backaches were coming more and more frequently now and demanded more of her attention. There was no reason for kidding herself any longer: these were contractions, she was in labour! At first she felt like doing a little victory-dance (thank Merlin, finally!) but when the next contraction overwhelmed her and reminded her how breathtakingly painful childbirth was, she refrained.

She was shuffling along in the kitchen and let her mind wander back to the birth of her sons.

….

When she was 41 weeks and 1 day pregnant with James, her contractions had started. Harry had flooed the midwife, Meriam, they knew from the prenatal visits, who came to their home to examine Ginny. For some hours the three of them remained there as Ginny's contractions grew stronger.

They went to the hospital when her water broke and the amniotic fluid appeared to be stained with meconium. Meriam had told them that this meant that the baby had pooped in the amniotic fluid. In ten percent of all cases this meant that the baby suffered from lack of oxygen. As a precaution Ginny had to go to the hospital where they could monitor the baby more closely during the rest of the birth.

Ginny remembered thinking that she absolutely didn't like leaving her home at that moment. Her contractions had been increasingly painful for five hours, and according to Meriam she had already seven centimetres dilatation. All she wanted to do was stay there in her own comfortable bedroom where she could pace, groan and breathe in private.

But of course, if it was better for the baby, she would go to the hospital. So Harry took her emergency bag, which thankfully stood ready at the door, Ginny hoisted herself into a pair of sweatpants and off they went. Apparating when one was distracted by a contraction was not advisable, so they travelled by Floo powder to St Mungo's.

Ginny still remembered the agonizing sensation of spinning around in hot flames and having a major contraction at the same time. As she stumbled out of the fireplace into Harry's arms she was bent double and crying from the pain. To add to her misery the spinning sensation had made her nauseous and she vomited right there in the hall and on her own shoes.

As she was hoisted into a wheelchair and wheeled towards the elevators she felt as if every single visitor and patient was staring at her. She imagined what they would see: a hugely pregnant witch, with damp hair and puked-on shoes, gripping the armrests and sweating profusely while she tried not to scream as the next contraction began to build. She had never felt more vulnerable and exposed in her life.

She hadn't had time to concentrate on this feeling for very long, because as they wheeled her into the maternity ward, a strong urge to push had overwhelmed her. She was then hurried onto a delivery-bed and within five minutes she gave birth to her first son.

Ginny smiled at the memory of the awe she had felt when studying that perfect little face.

Her labour, she was told later, had been uncharacteristically fast for a first child, just over five hours with the last three centimetres in less than half an hour. Meriam had warned her that with a second child the process was expected to be even faster.

Therefore, when she was pregnant with Albus, one of the first things that she discussed with Meriam, who was her midwife again, was to give birth at home. Harry had looked slightly alarmed at the idea and that night in bed he confessed that homebirth sounded scary to him. But once Ginny told him how those few moments in that wheelchair had made her more miserable than all the pain of labour together, he understood.

Ginny had encouraged him to voice his worries during the antenatal visits, and Meriam had explained to both of them the pros and cons, and the possibilities. In case of any complication, she told them, they had no choice but to go to the hospital. But if all went well, staying home was a safe option and in Ginny's case even a preferable one as her labour was expected to be fast.

So when Ginny put James in his crib one evening, three day's past her due date, and she felt the first contraction, Harry called for their midwife and Ginny transfigured their couch into a bed, on which she installed herself.

As predicted, her labour was even faster this time. By the time Meriam arrived, the contractions were coming so fast and with barely a pause in between that Ginny started to panic and hyperventilate. Only when Harry and Meriam helped her to regulate her breathing again and kept her concentrated during each contraction, she regained some sense of control. In barely two hours she was fully dilated and within three bone-wrenching and toe-curling pushes her second son was placed in her arms.

Giving birth at home turned out to be a good experience for both Harry and Ginny. Feeling secure and protected in her own home Ginny had felt the privacy to deal with the contractions in her own way, whether that might be pacing, crouching, rocking and groaning, moaning or screaming. A silencing charm cast at the stairs made sure that James slept soundlessly through the whole event. Most of all, Ginny liked that after the birth, she could comfortably take a shower in her own bathroom and rest in her own bed, with Harry right next to her and Albus in between them. Harry for his part, liked that he could stay with Ginny and their new son, instead of having to go home alone while they slept in the hospital.

Both agreed that their third child would preferably be born at home as well.

…

A sharp contraction brought her to her senses. They were coming quicker now, she'd better floo Harry.

She breathed until the contraction was over and turned in the direction of the fireplace. Before she had taken two steps another contraction hit her, much stronger than the previous one. Panic began to build inside her chest. She could hear her own rapid breathing and felt all her muscles tense in an attempt to ward of the agonizing pain in her abdomen. She bent double and gripped the kitchen table.

Panic was now flooding her along with the pain. She needed to contact Harry, and fast! Or else she would be all alone, giving birth on the kitchen floor, with her sons sitting only ten meters away in the living room….

* * *

Love it? Hate it? Let me know what you think!

Love, Zimra.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: **Did you ever wonder why Harry and Ginny only had three children? Birth is as safe as life gets. A story about the eventful birth of Lily Potter.

**Warning: **Some description of childbirth in this chapter. As being a midwife myself, I choose to descripe all proceedings around childbirth as realistic as possible. Personally I think there's nothing wrong with that, but don't read it if you don't like it.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I do not own Harry Potter.

Thank you all for the reviews! Please keep them coming, they make it easier to write! :)

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Gulping for air, she saw black spots dance in front of her eyes. She gripped the table still harder and felt herself drowning in a wave of pain.

Then a warm, strong hand was on her back, stroking it in long, soothing circles.

"Breathe", whispered a voice in her ear. Followed by: "London Bridge is falling down".

Ginny's head snapped up to see her husband standing next to her, still stroking her back.

"Why… in Merlins name…. are you….singing…nursery…..rhymes!?", Ginny panted.

"To help you breathing! Don't you remember?" his green eyes looked warm and reassuring, albeit a little bit indignant. "You're supposed to blow out on every syllable. Lon-don Bridge is fall-ing down. Or do you prefer 'Mary had a little lamb'?"

Despite the pain, Ginny couldn't help but chuckle. She felt some of her tension and panic leave her as the contraction subsided.

"I'm so glad you're here. They are coming so fast, all of a sudden. How did you know I needed you?"

"A little bird told me your labour had started."

"Does that little bird by any chance listen to the name Hermione?"

"Off course. She also told me that you were a bit stubborn about not wanting to alert me."

"Well, I still wasn't sure if it was the real deal, and I didn't want to disturb you until I was."

The next contraction began to build and Ginny clenched her knuckles. "But now I'm sure it is the real deal, so you'd better call Meriam."

"Lon-don-Bridge-is-fall-ing-down, Lon-don-Bridge-is-fall-ing-down, Lon-don-Bridge-is-"

Ginny was too busy breathing away a contraction to notice her midwife stepping out of the fireplace.

As the contractions were coming closer, Harry had first flooed Meriam (who told them she'd pack her midwife-kit and be with them in 15 minutes), then fed their sons at top speed (not too hard if you could conjure a pizza out of thin air) and proceeded to bring them to bed. Ginny could hear him reading a very short and somewhat rushed bedside story to James. Thank Merlin her scheme to play quidditch with them had worked its way; both boys were too tired to notice their parents' strange behaviour or question the rushed bed-time-routine.

Breathing away the last of the contraction, Ginny looked up to see Meriam Pye putting her midwife-kit on the table and surveying her carefully.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm doing ok." Ginny managed a smile, that somehow looked more like a grimace.

"How far apart are they now?"

"Only a few minutes. It feels like it's going fast again. Just like with Albus." Ginny's voice trembled a bit. "I only forgot how much it hurts." A tear leaked from the corner of her eye.

She felt Meriams soft, reassuring hands on her shoulders. "I know it hurts. But you are really strong, and you can do this."

Ginny leaned into her and breathed shakily. "I know. I know I can. It just really, bloody well, hu-" she broke of as a new contraction began and started her chanting of 'London Bridge' again.

"That's it, Ginny, very good. You're doing great." Meriam guided her through the contraction and as it subsided Harry came down the stairs.

"Looks like your third child is just as impatient to enter the world as both of your sons." Meriam announced. "How about, I set up my stuff and examine you to see how far you are exactly?"

As Meriam began to unpack her kit and spread out her utilities, Harry helped Ginny undress and lie down on the bed in the living room. This immediately triggered another contraction, through which Harry held her hand and breathed with her. Seeing Meriams familiar blonde figure shuffling in and out of her vision together with Harry's strong hand gripping her own made Ginny more calm than she had been in many days. She would finally have this baby, their third, much awaited child. Soon the urge to push would come over her, and despite the pain, she'd know what to do. And then her son would be placed on her belly. That's how it went with James and Albus, that's how it would go this time.

"Are you ready?"

Meriam had sat down on the edge of the mattress and was wearing sterile examination gloves.

Ginny nodded and tried to relax during the vaginal exam.

"I think you're nearly there." Meriam said with a concentrated look. "Only one more centimetre to go." Her fingers moved inside Ginny, who looked disappointed.

"I'm sorry Ginny, but that last centimetre needs to go away before you can push. The amniotic sac is still intact. I could break it as that usually speeds up the process. Or we could wait."

"No, it's fine. You can break it." Ginny panted as another contraction began to build.

"Ok. Then I'll do it during this contraction."

Meriam reached with her free hand for a thin, plastic instrument with a tiny hook at the end. Shielding it with her hand, she inserted the instrument and fumbled around while Ginny gripped Harry's hands and moaned.

A little 'pop' was followed by a wave of warm water rushing out from between her thighs. The familiar feeling heightened Ginny's anticipation. Not much longer now.

Her eyes sought Harry's, but found him staring at her crotch. That annoyed her. Not that he hadn't seen her naked before, but during delivery his view from the headboard was more than enough for her.

It was only when she heard his voice sounding higher than usual that she registered something was not all right.

"Is that blood?"

* * *

Okay, what do you think? Please let me know! :)

love, Zimra.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary: **Did you ever wonder why Harry and Ginny only had three children? Birth is as safe as life gets. A story about the eventful birth of Lily Potter.

**Warning: **Some description of childbirth in this chapter. As being a midwife myself, I choose to describe all proceedings around childbirth as realistic as possible. Personally I think there's nothing wrong with that, but don't read it if you don't like it.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I do not own Harry Potter.

Clickydowiz: Thank you! And yes, I have experienced childbirth before. Not for myself but as a midwife I've delivered a fair amount of babies :)

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Ginny felt oddly light. Like she was floating, hovering between harsh reality and a more peaceful world inside her.

She knew vaguely that something was wrong. That the things happening at the moment were not normal, even worrisome. Harry's pale face and wide eyes. Meriams professional but unmistakably nervous demeanour. The unrelenting flow from between her thighs. The plastic mats she was lying on where nowhere near enough and she felt the wetness creeping towards her back. Her hand that moved to the side of the mattress felt the same slick wetness. As she raised her fingers she studied the blood on them.

Blood.

The sight of the crimson stains brought back some sense. With none of her previous births there was so much blood.

The face of Meriam shifted into focus, bending over her, fingers feeling at her wrist.

"… an A1 situation….. vasa praevia…. under 15 minutes…. irregular pulse…. "

Meriam was talking at top speed, but her words made no sense. Only when Meriam shifted position, Ginny became aware that she was talking into some sort of handheld mirror. Whoever she was talking to seemed quick on the uptake, because within moments Meriam put the mirror away to face Harry and Ginny.

"I need you both to listen to me carefully."

Ginny saw Harry give a shaky nod and felt his fingers dig into her shoulder.

"When I broke the amniotic sac, a blood vessel has ruptured. That is a very rare, but serious condition. Both you and the baby are losing blood, so we have to get you to the hospital as fast as possible. I already called for a floo-ambulance which will be here in a few moments. It is important that you both stay calm. I know you're scared, but I am going to help you and together we will get you to the hospital quickly. All right?"

The information wasn't really sinking in, but Ginny felt herself calmed by Meriams steadiness.

"Harry, can you get Ginny's hospital-bag? And the things you need to take to the hospital: your ID-card, money and keys?"

She had barely asked this when Harry was hurrying up the stairs.

"Ginny, I need you to lie still and stay focused, okay? If you get dizzy or you feel faint, you need to tell me. I'm going to make sure nothing in your house is blocking the way for the ambulance-crew as they will be here in minutes."

Meriam disappeared from view and Ginny could hear her moving furniture.

It surprised her how calm and organised proceedings were. No shouting or panic, although she felt her heart beating rapidly and adrenaline flooded her body.

She would go to the hospital and both she and the baby would be fine. Harry would be with her, he would hold her hand. He wouldn't leave her alone.

Alone?

They couldn't leave the boys alone!

All of a sudden panic was exploding inside her and she tried to sit up. The movement made her dizzy and she felt the steady flow from between her legs increasing. Black spots danced in front of her eyes as she continued to push herself up. The boys couldn't be alone. What if they woke up? Harry had to stay here, she had to tell him.

Hands pushed on her shoulders, forcing her gently down. A soft voice tried to coax her into lying back.

"No… I need to…. Harry has to…."

Dizziness made it hard to find the right words.

A strong hand clutched hers.

"I'm here Gin, I won't leave you."

Three pair of green eyes swam dizzying above her. She tried to focus on one pair.

"The boys. We can't leave them."

The sharp intake of breath told her that his mind also had been too occupied to realize it sooner.

"Is there anyone you can call to watch them?" Meriams calm and steady voice sounded very close. "Better do that now, so you can come with Ginny."

She felt Harry press a kiss to her forehead and hurry away.

"We're going to take care of it Ginny, the boys won't be alone. Now try to calm down."

She would, if she weren't so dizzy. The room shifted in and out of focus and the blood still flowed out of her. And her baby.

"Stay with me now, Ginny."

Meriams voice sounded miles away.

* * *

**AN:** Vasa Praevia is an extremely rare but very real and dangerous condition. It means that blood vessels from the umbilical cord run through the amniotic sac. If the amniotic sac is broken (in others words: when the water breaks) either spontaneously or provoked, the vessels could rupture. This results in a massive amount of blood loss, dangerous to both mother and child. And an 'A1 situation' is in my country (the Netherlands) the code that you use as a midwife if you need an ambulance in a life-threatening situation, time of arrival is then usually under 15 minutes.

What do you think? Please let me know!

Love, Zimra.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary: **Did you ever wonder why Harry and Ginny only had three children? Birth is as safe as life gets. A story about the eventful birth of Lily Potter.

**Warning:** Some description of childbirth in this chapter. As being a midwife myself, I choose to describe all proceedings around childbirth as realistic as possible. Personally I think there's nothing wrong with that, but don't read it if you don't like it.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I do not own Harry Potter.

Thank you for all the reviews! They really make my day! :)

GrandmaBeth: thank you so much! It's nice to hear that from a colleague! :)

Reader AZ: Your comment made me smile! Yes, most people would think three children to be enough, but somehow I always pictured Harry and Ginny with the desire for a slightly larger family. I hope you like the next chapters as well!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"I bet on Ginny having the baby tonight"

Ron's attention was focused on his desert of homemade trifle.

"I said: I bet on Ginny having the baby tonight!" Hermione's temper, so easily inflammable in pregnancy, rose as her husband shoved his mouth full with trifle.

"I SAID: I BET ON GINNY-"

"Hawwing baby donigh, I hweard you!" Ron hastily responded with his mouth full.

Hermione looked disgusted as Ron quickly swallowed his food.

"Why, though?"

"Why what?" Hermione huffed grumpily.

"Why do you think she's having the baby tonight?"

"Because I was with her today and she was having contractions."

"Really? Harry will be so glad! He told me Ginny's mood has reached an all time low since her due date went by last week…"

"Which is perfectly understandable!" Ron hastened to add under his wife's sharp glare.

Ron felt he'd better smooth things over before Hermione had the chance to work herself into a rage and start shouting at him. So he walked over to her and kissed her tenderly.

'I know pregnancy isn't always fun, love. How are you feeling today?" He slid his warm hands under Hermione's shirt to place his hands on her belly. To his relief he felt his wife relax and lean into him.

"Hmm, tired. And my back is sore. Rosie's becoming too heavy to lift her all the time, but she's in this shy, clingy phase so she wants me to pick her up whenever we leave the house."

Ron's hands made his way towards her back and started kneading gently.

"We'll explain to her that the baby is mummy's tummy is getting heavier, so you can't lift her anymore. She'll understand. She's a smart cookie, like her mum."

Hermione let out a sigh and a slight moan as Ron kneaded a particular sore spot. As he kissed her neck, her breathing began to quicken, which encouraged him to move one hand from her back to her breast.

"I love those hormones" Ron whispered in her ear. Hermione giggled.

Then the fireplace flared up with a sudden blast of green flames, startling them. Ron pulled his hands from under his wife's shirt as a familiar black-haired head emerged amidst the flames.

"Oy mate! Is Ginny trying to set a new record?"

"Harry! Is everything all right? Has Ginny had the baby yet?"

They weren't prepared for the look of intense fear and panic on the face of their best friend. A look they had only seen before in those dark fearful years of fighting Voldemort. A look almost forgotten after nearly nine years of calm and peace. Seeing it again made both of their blood run cold as they kneeled in front of the fireplace.

"What's wrong?" demanded Hermione.

"She's bleeding. Badly." Harry's voice was a hoarse whisper and he couldn't meet his friends' eyes.

"Please help." His gaze sought something to rest upon, the chair behind them or the half-eaten trifle on the table. Anything, so he wouldn't have to look at Hermione's face, reflecting his own panic. Wouldn't have to meet Ron's eyes, full of shock and fear. Ron, whose complexion had turned to grey, whose sister was in danger, who would never forgive him if… Harry couldn't bring himself to think any further.

"Harry, look at me! What do you need? How can we help?" Hermione's urgent voice brought him back to the moment.

"The floo-ambulance is on its way. But Albus and James are sleeping upstairs, I need you to stay with them so I can go to the hospital with Ginny."

"We'll take care of them. But Harry, shouldn't one of us come with you?" Brown eyes full of concern were looking at him, then at Ron who seemed frozen with fear.

"Ron, you go with Harry right now! I'll get Rosies babymonitor and come after you in a minute. I'll stay at your place in case the boys wake up."

Hermione kissed Ron quickly and shoved him towards the fire. He seemed able to move again as he took some floo-powder.

Harry saw Hermione running away to get the babymonitor and then felt Ron and himself travelling back into his own fireplace.

* * *

_Where is the damn baby-monitor! _

Hermione was searching frantically through an upstairs cupboard, while trying to be as quiet as possible. She finally found the thing and prayed that Rose wouldn't wake up while she placed it beside the cot.

Grabbing with her the receiving half of the monitor, her purse and keys she headed for the fireplace. As she stepped into the green flames and almost shouted the familiar address, she didn't want to think what was awaiting her. She felt the baby inside her move and placed a hand on her belly to feel its little feet kick. It made her sick to realise that something could be wrong with Ginny and her baby.

While spinning in the flames, she tried to clear her head. _She just needs to get to the hospital and they'll sort her out. Don't panic now. _

As Hermione arrived in the kitchen the door to the living room stood ajar. The scene that greeted her was beyond anything she'd ever imagined.

Ginny was ghostly pale, lying unconscious on the bed, her huge stomach sticking out grotesquely. Two healers from the floo-ambulance were working on her, sticking needles into her arms, hoisting her legs up, lifting her on a gurney. A blonde woman Hermione assumed to be the midwife, was at Ginny's head; talking to her, telling her to hold on.

And the blood. It was everywhere. On the gloves the healers and midwife were wearing, on the floor by the bed, on the towels strewn across the floor, on the mattress, on Ginny's shirt and on her thighs. One of the healers covered her with a blanket, but soon a dark spot was shining through that as well.

Harry and Ron were standing a few feet away, both rooted to the ground. Harry's hand was on Ron's arm but Hermione found it hard to tell who was holding on to whom.

The healers seemd to have finished strapping Ginny onto the gurney and were moving towards the fireplace at top speed. Hermione jumped out of the way as the healers practically threw themselves with the gurney at the flames. Ginny's face was lit ghostly green for a moment, than they were gone.

"Come on, we're going immediately after them!" the midwife grabbed a bag and steered Harry towards the fireplace.

"Are you coming as well? Family I assume?" she said to Ron who was still staring ahead, his complexion a greyish white.

"Yes, he'll come with Harry, Ron is Ginny's brother." Hermione stepped forward into the living room. " I'm his wife. I'll stay here and look after the children. "

"Thank you. We'll let you know as soon as we know anything about Ginny and the baby. They'll probably do an emergency C-section. We need to go now." She added urgently to the two men who still seemed unable to move.

Hermione quickly stood on tiptoe and kissed them both on the cheek, which seemed to break through their reverie.

"Come on, you need to go. I love you both. She's going to be…" not finishing her sentence she hugged them both quickly and shoved them towards the fire.

Hermione watched the three of them disappear in the flames, then turned to look at the deserted chaos behind her. The irony smell of blood seemed to fill the room. A wave of nausea rose inside her as she stumbled towards the kitchen sink, just in time for her to retch up her dinner.

While her stomach heaved painfully, she felt the baby kicking her in protest. It brought tears to her eyes. Putting her hands on her belly she took a few deep breaths to calm both herself and her child.

Yet her limbs felt like lead while she started cleaning up all of the bloody mess.

* * *

What do you think? Please let me know!

love, Zimra :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary: **Did you ever wonder why Harry and Ginny only had three children? Birth is as safe as life gets. A story about the eventful birth of Lily Potter.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I do not own Harry Potter.

Thank you all for the reviews! I really appreciate them! :)

GrandmaBeth: Arthur and Molly will show up in a later chapter, but their performance will be brief. :)

sbmcneil: Thank you for your feedback! As for the British / American mix up: I'm not a native English speaker. I try to write in British English, but sometimes an American word can slip in. I think that the British word for crib would be cot? Please keep pointing them out! About the muggle devices: You're right, you wouldn't normally find them in wizard households. I wrote them in, partly because in Harry and Ginny's house (him being halfblood and her having a very muggle loving dad) muggle items wouldn't seem that much out of place. And to be honest, also because I couldn't think of a good wizard replacement. :) As for your comment about the baby-monitor: I do know some people who have or would have solved a problem this way. If Rosie was sound asleep and the house was quiet, chances of her waking up were slim. James and Albus might have woken up because of al the noise downstairs, so Hermione would need to keep an eye on them. If she heard Rosie cry through the baby-monitor she could have flooed home and bring her back to Harry and Ginny's. Bringing a sleeping child with her immediately would have costed too much time, not to mention that bringing a child in such a chaotic situation isn't preferable.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_This isn't real. This is just a bad dream._

For some part of Ron's life, his bad dreams had been about spiders. When he was little, he dreamt about the time that Fred changed his teddy bear into a spider. He'd wake up screaming and tossing his sheets from the bed, fearing the spider was lurking underneath.

After his encounter with Aragog in his second year, he dreamt of the giant, flesh-eating spiders that carried him into the forest. He'd wake up drenched in sweat, groping frantically for his wand.

But after the War, Ron had never dreamed of spiders again.

Instead, he dreamt of Fred, pale and still in the Great Hall. He'd wake up feeling hollow and empty, like he felt in those months after his brothers dead.

The first couple of years after the War, Ron dreamt about Fred almost weekly. The hollow feeling would linger after waking up, sometimes the entire day. Hermione always knew. On these day's she'd hug him even tighter before leaving for work and often she put a little note between his sandwiches for lunch, telling him she loved him. She had really pulled him through.

In recent years, as the Weasley family expanded and time-consuming babies brought happiness and new responsibilities, his dreams of Fred became less and less frequent. Every once in a while, he would dream about Fred, but the hollow feeling didn't last anymore. Instead it made Ron feel grateful for the joy within his family, with only a hint of sadness because Fred wasn't there to witness.

But now the same hollow feeling was gnawing at his insides as Ron paced a delivery room at St Mungo's.

Barely ten minutes ago he, Harry and Meriam had run through the corridors after Ginny. As the healers raced with her gurney through some double doors, Harry and Ron were stopped by a nurse. Only the father of the baby could come into the OR and witness the emergency C-section they were about to perform. When Harry raised a shaking hand, the nurse shoved a sterile overall towards him to put on over his clothes. Ron had to help him with the zipper, as he was shaking badly. The nurse then plonked a hairnet on his head and shoved sterile covers over his shoes and within minutes had yanked him by the arm into the OR.

Ron had stared at the closed doors for a several minutes before a friendly nurse led him to a delivery room where he could wait. She assured him that she would tell him as soon as there was any news about Ginny or the baby.

So here he was, frantically pacing inside the small room and thinking only of Ginny.

Ginny, who was barely a year younger than him, his closest sibling and only sister. Whether he closed his eyes or stared at the walls, he only saw her red hear, freckles and hazel eyes. He saw her ghostly pale and covered in blood, so much blood.

He shook his head forcefully as if to clear the image from his mind. He mustn't think about the blood. He mustn't think about how much it was. He found himself wondering, against his will how much blood loss a person could survive.

Ron clenched his fists. He would not allow himself think any further. Ginny was in the hospital now and they would sort her out, somehow.

A memory of a six-year old Ginny in a hospital gown entered his thoughts and despite the situation made him chuckle.

Her tonsils had to be removed for which she had to stay one night at St. Mungo's. Ron, only being a year older, had been quite intimidated by the vast, white halls and corridors of the hospital when they came to visit. He found the Healers in their white robes a little scary and didn't know what made him more nervous: the typical hospital smell or the thought that the building housed so many horribly sick people.

It had been somewhat of a shock for him to see his little sister in a hospital gown, sitting up straight in her small bed on the children's ward. Surrounding her were all kinds of get-well cards, flowers and even a few presents. Ron recognised the drawing he made for her himself, pinned to the headboard. Ginny sat in the middle of all this, perched on several large pillows and a pop sickle in one hand. Like a queen regarding her people she smiled and waved at her family.

As soon as they all reached the bed and asked her how she was doing, she launched into a detailed report of daily routine here on the children's ward. Pointing with her pop sickle she indicated the various beds of her fellow patients on the ward complete with a description of their illness. Ron noticed that his older brothers, particularly Bill and Charlie, where snickering behind their hands. But he himself was utterly impressed by how at home Ginny seemed to be in this, in his eyes, scary environment. He decided on the spot that he didn't like hospitals and hoped very hard that his tonsils wouldn't have to be removed. Although he had to admit that the unlimited access to pop sickles afterwards was tempting.

Ron chuckled again at the memory. His brave little sister, whose nerve he secretly had admired on more than one occasion. The events of this night came rushing back and along with them the intense fear. He couldn't bear to lose her.

The coffee a nurse had so kindly brought him was getting cold on a side table. In his head echoed only one thought:

_Please don't let her die._

After what seemed like ages the door of the delivery room suddenly opened.

A bewildered Harry stepped inside, still dressed in his sterile overall and hairnet. In his arms he held a tiny bundle. Ron thought he looked genuinely shell-shocked as he said hoarsely:

"It's a girl."

Ron couldn't look at the wrapped bundle, only one question burring on his lips.

"And Ginny?"

"She's still in surgery. They… they said they were working on her…"

A horrible feeling rose inside Ron's stomach. _They're working on her._ That didn't sound good. In Harry's green eyes his own fear was reflected as they stood frozen for a moment.

Then the door opened again and a worried looking nurse came in.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry gave no sign of acknowledgement but the nurse saw the baby in his arms and turned to him.

"Congratulations on the birth of your daughter." She gave a little smile but continued in a serious voice.

"Your wife has lost a lot of blood. The healers are doing the best they can for her. But it would be best if could take you back to the OR, to be with her."

The nurse shot an uncertain look at Ron. "We could look after your daughter in the mean time. Or perhaps your relative could hold her?"

Harry's face had taken on an ashen colour as he looked Ron in the eyes.

"Would you…?"

"Of course, mate." Immediately Ron reached out for the wrapped bundle.

As he took it secure in his arms he exchanged one last intense look with his best friend.

"Give… give Ginny my love, ok?"

Harry nodded briefly as he was being steered out by the nurse. In the door opening he paused for a short moment.

"Her name is Lily." then he and the nurse were gone.

Ron sat down carefully in a chair and held his newborn niece, once again waiting for news of his sister.

* * *

**AN:** In case of a ruptured vasa praevia, a lot of the blood comes directly from the baby. Because a baby has only about 400 ml of blood, the severe bloodloss will affect the baby first and in a lot of cases it won't survive. (I actually know someone who's lost her baby to this cause.) However, for the purpose of the story I wanted Lily Potter to be unharmed, although this isn't completely realistic.

What do you think? Please let me know!

love, Zimra


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary: **Did you ever wonder why Harry and Ginny only had three children? Birth is as safe as life gets. A story about the eventful birth of Lily Potter.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I do not own Harry Potter.

Thank you again for all the wonderful reviews! They're much appreciated! :)

Magicheart5355: I've seen cases in which the mother was in danger and unconscious after the birth. Usually they ask the father if they've already decided on a name for the baby, so they can put it on its name tag. (Every baby born in hospital gets a name tag as soon as possible.) It's not official yet, so the name can always be changed later if the parents want to change it. In this story Harry and Ginny had already chosen the name of Lily for a girl (back when Ginny was pregnant with James), they just felt sure it would be another boy. But that is why Harry already gave her the name, when he was asked by hospital staff what his daughter would be called.

The other Weasley familymembers will make there appearance later on, this chapter focuses on Ron again.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

With his eyes closed, Ron leaned back in his chair in the delivery room in St. Mungo's. Inside his mind a thousand pictures of Ginny came by.

Ginny as a toddler, carrying her stuffed dragon around. Ginny demanding to play Quidditch with her older brothers. Ginny knocking on his door in the middle of the night after a nightmare woke her. An enraged Ginny shouting at him in a corridor after he burst in on her and Dean kissing. Ginny at her wedding, looking radiant with love for his best friend. Ginny with newborn James in her arms, looking so much like their own mother that it startled him.

His eyelids seemed to burn with the intensely familiar image of her freckled face.

A stir of the bundle in his arms made Ron open his eyes. Staring at him were the wide, dark blue eyes of his newborn niece. As he looked back at her, she frowned her perfect little eyebrows.

"Hello little girl, what's the matter?"

The baby gazed up at him, transfixed by the sound of his voice.

"Are you worried about your mummy?" The baby knitted her tiny brow again.

"We are all worried about her, but we'll just have to wait here, haven't we?"

Ron was silent for a minute, feeling slightly ridiculous for sharing his thoughts with a twenty minute old baby. The child however was still gazing at him expectantly.

"I am your uncle Ron, by the way. I am holding you until your mummy and daddy are back."

The baby wrinkled her nose in a way that irresistibly reminded him of Ginny.

"You look like her, you know." This time the baby raised her little eyebrows in question.

"Yes you do. You look like your mummy. And also a little bit like your daddy." Ron said as he studied his niece's tiny face.

"They are a very good mummy and daddy, you know. It's a shame they are not here to hold you at this moment." The baby was no longer captured by his voice and started to fuss. He rocked her a bit, but it didn't help and she started a mewling cry.

"Shh… there there, mummy and daddy will come back, sweetie." The child was now crying pitiful and was turning her head as if seeking comfort.

The sight reminded Ron of the first moments after the birth of his own daughter. Rose had been immediately placed on Hermione's chest, snuggling close to her. The midwife had explained that hearing Hermione's familiar heartbeat and being enveloped in her warmth and smell, was comforting for a newborn baby. That first sight of his daughter and his wife together was one of Ron's happiest memories, and since then his Patronus had never been better.

He looked down at the baby who was getting more and more upset. He felt sorry for this little girl, who was not even an hour old, yet her mummy wasn't there to lie on top of nor her daddy to hold her.

_Not a very nice way to start your live_, Ron thought.

He tried rocking the baby again and then tried to let her suck on his pinkie-finger, but to no avail.

A line from one of Hermione's pregnancy books popped into his head:

"Skin-to-skin contact within the first hour after birth is crucial for the wellbeing and development of a newborn." Hermione had lectured him about the many benefits of skin-to-skin contact for the baby and had read him a passage about how it was advised to place a baby on his father's chest after birth, in case the mother was unavailable or unwell.

An idea began to form in Ron's head. Would only skin-to-skin contact with the mother or father be beneficial?

He looked down at his niece who was getting bright red in the face from crying, and made a decision.

With one hand he held the baby secured on his lap, while unbuttoning his shirt with the other one. He slid down a bit in the chair and gently placed the baby on his bare chest, covering them both with the blanket.

The effect was surprisingly spectacular. Immediately the baby calmed down and seemed to nestle against him. She let out a last hiccupy cry and then a deep sigh.

"Shhh, that's better sweetie. Mummy and daddy love you very much. But until they are here to hold you, I will keep you safe and warm."

The baby was looking at him again with wide eyes.

"You look like you're wondering who I am, aren't you? As I said, I'm your uncle Ron. Your mummy Ginny is my sister and your daddy Harry is my best friend."

His niece seemed to look at him with an expression of utmost curiosity.

"That's right, Harry and Ginny are their names, but you just call them mummy and daddy. Do you want to know how they got together? When your mum was a little girl, mind you, not as little as you are, she was captured by a monster. We all thought she would die, but your dad saved her. I think that's how it started but they really came together a few years later when they were older. I wasn't immediately enthusiastic I must confess, but well… even I saw they were made for each other."

On his chest, the baby was gazing at him contentedly.

"Did you like that story? Would you like to hear some more? Well let's see…"

"I first met your daddy on the train to Hogwarts, that is the school where you are going to when you will be much older. We met your auntie Hermione there too, but we didn't become friends with her until after we fought a troll together. You mustn't do that though, fighting trolls in your first year."

"We fought quite a lot of stuff together, you know. But that was back when You-Know-Who was still alive. Your daddy finished him off, so you don't have to worry about him."

The baby's brow was furrowed once more as she looked at him.

"But let's not talk of You-Know-Who, he's not a very pleasant subject when you're just born. And your mum will tell me off for giving you nightmares."

"Let's talk about Quidditch. Everybody likes to talk about Quidditch. Well, except your auntie Hermione, but she's not here now, is she? The thing is, you are going to love Quidditch. And you'll probably be good at it, with both your mummy's and daddy's genes. Did you know that your mummy used to play for the Holyhead Harpies? She even came out for England at the world cup. Sadly they didn't win the cup, but we were proud of her nonetheless."

The child had gone back to staring at him in amazement, so Ron went on.

"I played a fair game of Quidditch myself, you know? I was keeper for the Gryffindor team in the year we won the House cup. The Slytherins were really trying to break my concentration with this stupid song, but I nailed it in the end. I remember the game started with a quick pass from Demelza to Katie…"

* * *

What do you think? Please let me know!

Love, Zimra.


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